More Maryland families than ever require government aid
More than 700,000 get food help, the most in state history
Capital News Service
— COLLEGE PARK — The number of Maryland families who need government help to make ends meet has reached record levels.
More than 700,000 people receive food assistance, the most in state history. A record 70,000 people depend on emergency cash assistance. And the demand for the state’s child care subsidy program has caused officials to impose an indefinite freeze on new applicants.
Yet state and federal officials are budgeting less money for the safety net in the coming fiscal year. The move reflects the government’s confidence in the economic recovery.
Others question whether it is overly optimistic to cut back at a time when the state’s assistance programs are still swollen with unprecedented numbers.
“It took from January 2008 to February 2012 to double the number of people enrolled in the Food Supplement Program,” said Neil Bergsman, director of the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute, a nonpartisan budget analysis organization. “It’s not going to go down all that way in one year.”
Bergsman questioned whether the department is projecting positive estimates to balance the state budget — a constitutional requirement. The state faces a $1.1 billion deficit that legislators hope to eliminate over the next two years.
“We think that our budget is accurate,” said Pat Hines, the director of communication for the Maryland Department of Human Resources. “And we’re optimistic about the direction of the economy and of our numbers.”
However, a report by the Department of Legislative Services Office of Policy Analysis suggested that services to families could be affected, since funding meant for struggling families would have to be spent on paying down the shortfall. If not, “the negative balance will just move from year to year,” the report said.
Demand has been so high that the Department of Human Resources was forced to request an additional $30 million in state funding in fiscal 2012.
The shortfall occurred even though federal funding has doubled to nearly $2 billion each year since before the recession.
The figures do not include the thousands of households who depend on food banks and charities because their income is too high for public assistance. To qualify, a family usually has to make no more than twice the Federal Poverty Level, or $40,000 for a family of three.
Nor do the figures include the families who simply aren’t aware they qualify for assistance. Cash assistance is one of the largest programs threatened by increases in demand.
While programs such as food assistance receive necessary funding no matter what, the state has to cover the remaining costs in the cash assistance program when demand exceeds the funding.
Families that qualify are limited to a total of five years — 60 payments — and also are required to participate in work programs. Today, about 70,000 Marylanders are enrolled in the program — a 40 percent increase from 2008 and an all-time high for the state.
”We really did see a pretty significant pop in enrollment,” said Vince Kilduff, deputy executive director in the Department of Human Resources Office of Programs.
Yet those enrolled in the program represent just a third of those who applied for help. Most of those denied either didn’t qualify or didn’t follow through after applying, Hines said.
One statistic working in the department’s favor is that nearly twice as many people are leaving the program as are signing up for it.
At the current rate, officials are predicting the federal grant alone will cover next year’s demand and this year’s deficit.
Bergsman, who worked in the Department of Budget and Management between 1988 and 2004, said the numbers may still be too optimistic.
“When I was in the budget office, there was a great temptation to use favorable assumptions for spending estimates so that we would not have to cut other stuff as much, and I don’t imagine that it’s any different today,” Bergsman said. “So you can have an estimate that is in the reasonable range, but you can pick the lower end of that range.”
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GC Commissioners Increase Hotel Tax From 5 To 6 Percent
May. 17, 2012
The Garrett County commissioners voted unanimously during their public meeting on Tuesday afternoon to raise the hotel rental (accommodations) tax from 5 percent to 6 percent. Also during the three-hour session, the commissioners discussed raising solid waste collection fees, awarded a bridge construction bid, adopted a new county recreation plan, and met with Friends of Deep Creek Lake.
The Maryland General Assembly and governor recently granted the commissioners the authority to increase the local accommodations tax up to 6 percent. It was last raised in 2005. The new rate goes into effect on July 1.
The Garrett County Department of Financial Services notified local businesses in an e-mail on May 9 that the commissioners planned to raise the accommodations tax.
“The county realizes that the procedure of hotel rental tax reporting to the county to reflect the increase in the tax rate would be a hardship on those of you who execute contracts with their rental customers well in advance of the customer’s stay,” Director Wendy Yoder’s memo stated. “Therefore, the county has agreed to amend the reporting procedure in order to ease the burden on you.”
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Contracts and confirmed reservations made prior to the notification memo will be honored at the 5 percent tax rate, even if arrivals are after July 1. Reservations made after May 9 will be calculated at the new 6 percent for arrivals after July 1.
Personnel from a local vacation rental agency noted at Tuesday’s meeting the bookkeeping difficulties involved in calculating the new/old rates and arrival dates. Commissioner Jim Raley indicated the county would work with businesses during the transition period.
Also on Tuesday, the commissioners discussed raising trash collection fees. Garrett County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling manager Dave Baker suggested raising the landfill tipping fees for household/municipalities from $35 to $45 a ton, and for construction debris from $40 to $45 a ton. He also proposed increasing the collection site vehicle sticker fee from $25 to $50.
Baker noted that rates in nearby counties are much higher than Garrett County’s current ones. For example, Allegany County has a $78 annual permit fee. Its tipping fees are $45.40 per ton for household and $57.54 per ton for construction waste.
The manager indicated the increased fees would be more in line with the actual cost of operating the landfill and collection sites.
Raley said the commissioners would take Baker’s proposals under advisement.
Gary Love, Solid Waste and Recycling, presented an amendment to the county’s 10-year landfill plan for thei commissioners’ consideration. Described by Love as a “minor modification,” the amendment includes the county’s proposed Cell 5. The commissioners unanimously approved the amendment.
Love noted that Cell 4 would be completed at the landfill later this year.
In addition, the commissioners unanimously approved the 2012 Land Preservation Parks and Recreation Plan for Garrett County.
Director John Nelson, Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development, noted the state requires plans to be updated every six years in order for entities to be eligible for Program Open Space funding. He said the county’s new plan includes a recreational trails component.
Also during their Tuesday meeting, the commissioners approved Carl Belt Inc.’s bid of $1,291,18 to construct the new Corona Bayard Road bridge, located on the border of Maryland and West Virginia. According to local purchasing agent Brian Bowers, the project is being funded primarily by the federal bridge fund (80 percent), with the West Virginia Department of Transportation and Garrett County splitting the remainder of the cost.
The commissioners also met with Friends of Deep Creek Lake, a nonprofit community group dedicated to the watershed’s protection, preservation, and restoration. Group members stressed the importance of the commissioners taking a larger role in protecting the lake and adopting a “broader watershed” view in resolving sediment issues.
Lake property owners noted the current sediment study being conducted by the Department of Natural Resources has “missing components,” including the lack of information about runoff from farms, road culverts, and parking lots.
Friends of DCL executive director Barbara Beelar indicated her group wanted to partner with the commissioners to resolve issues.
The commissioners’ next public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5, at 9 a.m. in their meeting room at the courthouse.
More here.
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25th McHenry Highland Festival To Celebrate Scots, Irish, Welsh
May. 17, 2012
The 25th annual McHenry Highland Festival will be held June 1-3, celebrating the local Scottish, Irish and Welsh peoples and heritage. A significant migration of Celtics to this region took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the Highlander pioneers working on the railroads, and as farmers, miners, and loggers.
For this landmark year, Gregan Crawford, a Garrett County commissioner, will to serve as the 2012 Honorary Clan Chieftain.
“Of Scottish descent, Crawford’s love of Garrett County began early at the age of 11 when his family purchased a 150-acre farm in the Pleasant Valley area south of Oakland in 1974,” a spokesperson said. “He moved permanently to the county in 1989 and has worked as a carpenter and a real estate agent, along with his elected position.
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The McHenry Highland Festival will kick off with a Celtic concert at the Wisp Resort on Friday evening, June 1, featuring Prydein, a rock Celtic-roots band that was part of last year’s festival.
The festival at the Garrett County Fairgrounds will begin in the morning of Saturday, June 2, offering concerts, Celtic food, and a wide array of vendors. The group Clandestine, known for a “hard-driving, toe-tapping” Texas Celtic sound, will perform, as well as Allegany County’s Shanty Irish, and a special guest appearance by Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout.
There will be five traditional marching bagpipe bands, as well as the Highland athletics and Irish and Scottish dance demonstrations. Trained border collies will give sheep- and goose-herding demonstrations, and there will be a Celtic dog parade, as well as an exhibit of Highland cattle.
The traditional Sunday Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Deer Park, with music by the Garrett Highlands Pipes and Drums. This event will conclude the weekend of activities.
The festival is supported by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Garrett County Arts Council, and other area supporters.
More here.
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
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Oakland- Mt. Lake Park Lions Club hosts REDNECK DAYZ
June 16 & 17 at Broadford Lake Park – Oakland MD
$5 admission on Saturday
Features:
Live Music 11am – Midnight
2 stages
Games: Anything Floats Regatta, Cornhole Tournament, Zombie Target Practice, Mudpit Bellyflop Contest, food, beer, custom car, bike and truck show, and other cool redneck concepts.
All proceeds benefit local charities.
No coolers please.
More here.
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
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New Listing! 66 Alan Fike Rd - 60 acres farm -$399,900 - GA7847548
66 ALAN FIKE RD
FRIENDSVILLE, MD 21531
Country living at its finest! This remodeled farm home is an ideal second residence or working farm. Stocked trout stream (Mill Run), & a 2nd stream are within a stones throw – enjoy the sounds of flowing water throughout the property.. 50×25 barn, 3 car garage, and 60+ AC of pasture & wooded acreage sure to please any sportsman. A scenic walk to Mill Run recreation area & Yough Lake boat launch.
Contact Jay Ferguson @ 301-501-0420 or DeepCreekLaker@Gmail.com for more information or to setup a private showing for this property.
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
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Community Calendar - Memorial Day 2012
Here is a list of some events and activities coming up this week at Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County:
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Memorial Day Weekend Sale at Simon Pearce
Date: May 25, 2012 – May 28, 2012
http://www.simonpearce.com
Event Description Enjoy 40-60% savings on selected 2nds and home accents.
View glassblowing until 3:30 on May 25 and 28 and until 5:00 PM on May 26 and 27.
Can’t make it to the sale? Limited items available online at SimonPearce.com through June 10.
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All American Whitewater Festival at Adventure Sports Center International
Date: May 25, 2012 – May 27, 2012
http://www.adventuresportscenter.com
Event Description
A Celebration of Whitewater Recreation In Honor of American Veterans
Led By The Veteran – Athletes of Team River Runner
(A Wounded Warrior organization that teaches injured veterans how to “heal through whitewater boating”
Friday: Community Day Bonfire
6 pm – 9 pm
$25 rafting to celebrate Memorial Day weekend
& the kick-off of the 2012 Whitewater Season
Sunset rafting starts at 6 pm
Saturday: All-American Whitewater Festival Day
10:00 am – Opening Ceremony & Veteran’s Tribute
10:30 am – Whitewater Parade & Figurehead Contest
Food & Beverages Available
Monday: Memorial Day Paddling
10% of Proceeds Donated to Team River Runner
Private Boating – $10 a day all weekend
& Preseason Rafting Rates of $50!
For more information, call 301-387-3250
or visit www.adventuresportscenter.com
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Tom Wallisch Memorial Day Railjam
Date: May 26, 2012
http://www.wispresort.com/wisp/calendar.aspx?mode=detail&eventId=mem_jam
Event Description Description: That’s right, there’s still plenty of snow for this on snow rail jam held at the adventure park at Wisp Resort. 6pm – 8pm Registration & $20 entry fee, $10 entry fee for kids competition ages 10 and under. Lots of prizes, giveaways, music and fun.
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Opening Day at Springs Historical Society Farmers Market & Museum
Date: May 26, 2012 Time: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
http://www.springspa.org
Event Description Opening day of the Springs Farmers’ Market and the Springs Museum.
All on the same premises along with the Alta Schrock Nature Trail, a self-guided 4/10 mile walk. **Out-of-County Regional Event**
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Open House/Studio Tour at Snowbird Creations Glass Studio
Date: May 26, 2012 – May 27, 2012
http://www.snowbirdcreations.com
Event Description Come and see our new Outdoor Glass Gallery featuring coloful hanging pendant lights and lake-themed glass chimes that tinkle in the wind! If you collect artglass, I am sure you will find a unique sculpture for your shelf or wall. Other items in the indoor gallery include designer tableware, glass paintings, clocks, mirrors, napkin rings and holders, bottle stoppers and lamps. The dichroic jewelry is stunning. Choose from pendants, necklaces, earrings, rings, hairpins, bracelets and pins. There is a lot to see, so give yourself plenty of time to browse in both locations.
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K-9s, Tunes & Brews
Date: May 26, 2012 Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
http://www.hartforanimals.org
HART’s mascot, Sunny the Dog, invites everyone to KTB at Wisp Resort on May 26
Event Description Kick Off the Summer in Style! Join us for a day filled with activities for the whole family – even the family dog! Bring the kids to Kid Central for activities, games, air brush tattoos, a moon bounce, and a return of Daffydil the Clown. For the adults, there are three bands for various musical tastes and beer tasting poured by celebrity pourers, as well as the always delightful Fun Dog Show and obedience and agility demonstrations, as well as the competitive judging for best dog costume!
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For more details and last minute events, check online at www.visitdeepcreek.com or the I Love Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County Group on Facebook!
Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
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Garrett commissioners approve hotel tax raise
Representative asks county for longer transition period
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — Garrett County commissioners unanimously approved on Tuesday a resolution to raise the Hotel Rental Accommodations Tax rate from 5 percent to 6 percent, effective July 1.
The commission also voted to discuss the implementation of the increased rate after hearing from a representative from Taylor-made Deep Creek Vacations.
The representative stressed that the company understood the need for a rate increase and asked the commission to allow for more of a transition period, explaining that updates of company software will be necessary in order to compensate for the new increase. The representative also said that the company wasn’t happy with the process of notification.
The commission followed the same procedure of notification in the summer of 2005, when the rate was increased from 4 percent to 5 percent, according to Wendy Yoder, director for the Department of Financial Services.
Because of the hardships of those rental contracts, the county decided to amend the reporting procedure in advance, according to the notification sent to county rental agencies.
“Contracts and confirmed reservations made prior to the receipt of this notification will be honored at the 5 percent tax rate,” said the email notification that the rental agencies received form the county.
“You will be required to submit taxes calculated at the new rate of 6 percent for contracts and reservations made after the receipt of this notification for all arrivals July 1, 2012, and after. What this means is that for any month whereby you are remitting the tax to the county that includes tax collected at both rates, you must remit your gross rental receipt to us broken down by the rate at which they were collected.”
For example, if a gross rental receipts in a given month is $6,000 and charged taxes at the rate of 5 percent on $2,000 and 6 percent on $4,00 then the remittance must be broken down that way, according to the notification. Hotel rental tax collected on the amount would total $340, with $100 collected on the 5 percent rate and $240 collected on the 6 percent rate.
The hotel rental tax is due to the county by the 21st of each month. If it’s not remitted by that date, penalty and interest charges will apply.
The rate increase resolution came about after the requested legislation was passed in General Assembly and was approved by Gov. Martin O’Malley, according to Chairman Jim Raley.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Survey: Most support Md. elk reintroduction
Posted: May 15, 2012 5:08 PM EDT Updated: May 15, 2012 5:08 PM EDT
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – A new survey finds nearly three-quarters of Marylanders support reintroducing elk in the state’s western counties.
The rest were almost equally split among those opposing reintroduction and those who did not have an opinion. The Department of Natural Resources released the survey results on Tuesday.
Elk have already been successfully reintroduced in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and the DNR is partnering with sportsmen’s groups to study reintroduction in Maryland. However, the proposal has run into opposition from county officials in Garrett County, who said they were not included in preliminary talks.
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Garrett’s board of education sets meeting to talk spending
Superintendent to offer scenarios on how to hold on to employees
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — The Maryland General Assembly’s passing of the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2012 means $1 million-plus for education in Garrett County.
The legislations’ enactment also means the school board needs to meet to decide on the best use of the money, said Charlotte Sebold, the board’s president.
A special meeting of the Garrett County Board of Education is being held Wednesday to discuss possible spending scenarios.
Scenarios that will likely be discussed include retaining more personnel and revisiting the decision to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools, according to Sebold.
“The superintendent will provide scenarios on what the board can do with monies to best serve students of Garrett County and to preserve jobs,” said Sebold. “We are looking at keeping as many employees as possible.”
There are no laws that prevent the board from revisiting the decision made at the April 24 meeting to close the two schools, Sebold said.
The commissioners provided the board with $500,000 for fiscal year 2013 and suggested that the money be used to reduce the number of instructional employee cuts from 40 to 28. In total, the county has appropriated $25.3 million to the board for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The General Assembly passed an income tax hike on Wednesday that targets six-figure earners and will avoid about $500 million in budget cuts.
Gov. Martin O’Malley emphasized that the special session was needed to protect education, to keep college tuition affordable and preserve public safety.
Leo Martin, mayor of Mountain Lake Park, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures to the school board Monday, said resident Elizabeth Hebden.
The petition contained signatures of more than 10 percent of all registered voters in Garrett County, Hebden said.
The petition asked board members for another vote on the April 24 school-closing decision, pending the passage of the revenue bill by state legislators and the receipt of additional funding for Garrett County schools.
The petition was accepted by Sebold but there was no discussion on it, according to Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools.
“It was premature for the board to adopt the school closure policy in light of the Maryland General Assembly special session that opened earlier today (Monday),” said resident James “Smokey” Stanton. “The special session was called in order to adopt a state budget with revised expenditures and revenues, and it is likely that state funds for Garrett County will increase as the result of the special session.”
Stanton said the board didn’t have a contingency plan to maintain Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools if the legislature approves additional funds for Garrett County schools.
“Small schools are exceptionally important to the economic health of our small towns and small communities, and it does not seem that this essential factor has been adequately taken into account with the proposed closures for this year and the proposals for future years,” said Stanton.
The special board of education meeting will be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Southern Middle School cafeteria.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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